By Phil Schafer (From Nov/Dec 1999 USA Table Tennis Magazine)

The Concord Club greatly appreciated its 1998 $1,000 USATT Grassroots Grant. It assisted us in continuing our 26-year mission of offering high-quality table tennis in Concord, CA. A combination of strong youth programs, a good facility, continual equipment updates and dedicated volunteers has kept the organization strong and growing. Total membership reached a record 150 in 1998.

The Grassroots Grant money has helped us:

• Offer table tennis four days per week.
• Conduct junior (Novice, Intermediate & Elite) training programs; periodic adult training programs are also offered.
• Reimburse the Club Coach Bill Lui for transportation expenses to local tournaments to coach his junior players.
• Expand the Club's equipment improvement program.

A $4 daily playing fee gives adult members three hours of playing time on the Club's 12 tables, including balls, while junior members pay $2; non-members pay $2 extra. The facility is open 7-10 p.m. each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evening, and 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. Thursdays are reserved for a round-robin tournament format, where rated players face off with 4-6 opponents; the match results are processed with a rating point system similar to the USATT's.

The success of the training programs continues to exceed expectations. The Club started with one training session per week in 1995, increased to two programs in 1996 and now offers three junior sessions plus periodic adult clinics. Many of our juniors rank in the nation's top-10 for their respective age groups; three were invited to the tryouts for the 1999 U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams.

Alas, it costs money to run a successful operation. For 1998, our major expenses included over $21,000 for rent, $875 for balls and $2,125 for equipment upgrades (three new tables). Other expenses included a reimbursement of over $400 for the Club Coach's travel expenses to regional tournaments and $500 for needy player travel assistance. Primary revenue sources are daily playing fees, memberships ($40 for families, $30 for adults and $15 for juniors and full-time students) and the Golden State Open tournament.

We shall continue our mission of promoting table tennis by expansion of the junior and adult training programs as well as updating our equipment. These endeavors are fiscally challenging. The USATT Grassroots Grant was a valuable tool in meeting our 1998 expenses.